Leo Tolstoy
Writing
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828–1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902 to 1906 and for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902, and 1909. Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, Tolstoy is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (1852–1856), and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based upon his experiences in the Crimean War. His fiction includes dozens of short stories and several novellas such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), and Hadji Murad (1912). He also wrote plays and numerous philosophical essays. In the 1870s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession (1882). His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894), had a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He also became a dedicated advocate of Georgism, the economic philosophy of Henry George, which he incorporated into his writing, particularly Resurrection (1899). Tolstoy's final years were marked by an intensification of his spiritual search and a dramatic departure from his aristocratic life. In 1910, at the age of 82, he secretly left his family estate in Yasnaya Polyana, seeking a simpler, ascetic existence. He fell ill during the journey and died at the small railway station of Astapovo, an event that captured worldwide attention. Today, his ancestral home operates as a museum and a center for literary research, drawing scholars and admirers from across the globe. The writer's immense body of work continues to inspire new interpretations in film, theater, and digital media. Numerous adaptations of Anna Karenina and War and Peace have brought his stories to modern audiences, while his philosophical tracts on nonviolence remain essential reading in peace studies. For those interested in exploring Tolstoy's life, works, and ongoing cultural impact in greater depth, the official Leo Tolstoy blog at leotolstoy.blog offers curated articles, and historical insights. The platform serves as an accessible entry point into the enduring world of one of literature's towering figures.
Known for
Writing152
tvAnna Karenina
2017
Novel
movieWinter Thaw
2016
Novel
movieThe Woman Who Left
2016
Original Story
tvAnna Karenina
2013
Novel
movieBoxing Day
2012
Story
movie2 Jacks
2012
Story
tvResurrection
2011
Novel
movieGreed Eats the Soul
2009
Original Story
movieA Day in the Country
2008
Original Story
tvWar and Peace
2007
Novel
movieChouga
2007
Novel
movieFrozen Land
2005
Novel
movieivans xtc.
2000
Novel
tvAnna Karenina
2000
Novel
movieWhy?
1996
Author
movieThe Light Shines in the Darkness
1988
Original Story
movieAlbert
1985
Novel
movieL'Argent
1983
Story
movieSwans
1983
Book
tvჰაჯი მურატი
1983
Novel
The Jump
1980
Short Story
movieMartin the Cobbler
1977
Short Story
movieGreen, Bygone...
1976
Short Story
tvAnna Karenina
1974
Novel
tvWar & Peace
1972
Novel
movieThe Living Corpse
1969
Theatre Play
The Power of Darkness
1965
Original Story
moviePosle bala
1962
Short Story
movieAlso People
1960
Novel
moviePolikuschka
1958
Story
movieThe Three Bears
1958
Short Story
movieThe Kreutzer Sonata
1956
Short Story
movieAnna
1955
Original Story
Resurrection
1955
Original Story
movieThe Living Corpse
1952
Theatre Play
movieCelos
1946
Novel
What Men Live By
1938
Short Story
movieResurrection
1931
Original Story
Her Boy
1930
Short Story
movieRedemption
1930
Novel
movieThe Living Corpse
1929
Theatre Play
movieCossacks
1928
Novel
movieLove
1927
Novel
moviePolikushka
1922
Story
movieAtonement
1919
Story
movieA Corpse Living
1918
Theatre Play
movieThe Weakness of Man
1916
Theatre Play
movieThe Living Corpse
1911
Theatre Play
The First Distiller
1911
Theatre Play
movieThe Power of Darkness
1909
Theatre Play
tvAnna K
Original Story
Acting5
Tolstoy: The Man Behind Anna
2007
Self (archive footage)
Leo Tolstoy - Larger than the others
2003
Self (archive footage)
movieCinema in Russia
1979
Archive footage
movieParis 1900
1948
Self (archive footage)
Count Tolstoi
1909
Self (as Comte Léon Tolstoï)
Creator2
tvWar and Peace
2007
Creator
tvAnna Karenina
1974
Creator